Chapter26

Armaan picked up his personal phone which had been ringing for a while now and smiled as
he saw the caller ID.
Inder.
"When did you come back from your European trip, Inder?? Armaan asked as soon as he
picked up.
Inder is his best friend. They have been together at school and went to different fields for
further studies but they always kept in touch.
"Landed today morning Maan"
"You reached in the morning and you are calling now only?" Armaan asked
"Had to make an important visit" Inder smiled thinking about the mother son duo who rules
his heart now.
He had been away for the last one and a half months due to some unavoidable
medical conferences and medical camps in tribal regions around the world.
"Does this important visit happens to be a woman??" Armaan teased
"Maybe" Inder replied vaguely shocking Armaan
"Really?? You came back from a world tour and the first thing you do is go visit one of your
flings??" Armaan asked surprised
"She is not a fling, Armaan" Inder's voice hardened.
He wouldn't let anyone say anything bad about his woman. Even if it's his best friend.
Armaan was further shocked.
Is his best friend finally in love??
"Inder?? I am happy for you" Armaan said and it was Inder's turn to be shocked.
Armaam happy for someone in love??
He expected a scoff followed by taunt about the non-existence of love and was ready to
defend his feelings.
"Thank you" he choked out, making Armaan chuckle.
"Don't tell me the woman is one of your patients" Armaan teased again
"Talking about patients, I got your email about finding your son and that woman who did a
runner with your son. Couldn't get back to you sooner" Armaan's lips thinned in agitation.
He didn't like how Inder referred to Janani as that woman.
He had done worse, but he simply couldn't tolerate it from someone else.
"That woman has a name. Janani Trivedi. And yes I found my son too" Armaan replied
tightly making Inder frown.
Why is Armaan defending that woman? Inder couldn't understand.
Inder still remembers Janani Trivedi.
Her IVF was done in his hospital.
He is one of the most renowned heart surgeons in the country and he had personally taken
care of Janani Trivedi's case and consulted regularly with the gynaecologist regarding all her
check ups as Armaan didn't want to be personally involved.
Her eyes were dead cold and he did wonder what made Armaan select her as the surrogate.
Then he thought it's better to have the surrogate mother as cold and detached as it wouldn't
create problems in separation after the baby is born.
But no one ever saw the possibility of her running away from the hospital.
"I am happy for you. How are they? Ava and what's his name??" Inder asked not wanting to
probe further on Janani Trivedi.
"Advaith. We call him Advi. And yeah both Ava and Advi are good" Armaan answered
"I will drop by for a visit soon. I will be pretty busy for the next week catching up with my
regular patients "
"Will you be attending the charity event tonight??" Armaam asked
"No. I have a dinner planned for tonight" Inder smiled thinking about how he had
manipulated Ananya Mittal to go on a dinner date with him with little Aarav's help.
The woman is one tough nut to crack
"Oh okay. Will see you soon" and they hung up the call
****
Armaan fastened the sleeves of his dress shirt.
He hadn't seen Janani for a while? Should he have checked up on her a while before? He
couldn't even hear any sound of movement from Janani's room.
He remembered what happened an hour ago when he had handed over the gown he had
gotten for her
"What's this??" Janani had asked
"Your dress for tonight " he said and saw her forehead creasing in a confused frown.
Why?? She is supposed to be happy. Right m
"You didn't have to" she said
"Why?? Have you brought along your party outfits with you? I have never seen you wearing
any of those. So I obviously thought you wanted me to buy you things" he said
Why is he angry at her anyway??
He is feeling things he had never felt before and anger is the best coping mechanism he
found so far.
"Of course.Thank you so much" she said with a sarcastic touch.
And she had walked into her room.
She had been in there ever since and they had to leave within fifteen minutes.
He was just walking towards the bedroom doors when they opened suddenly.
"Don't say a word. Not a word, Armaan Verma."
Her eyes were spitting fire at him, as she stalked barefoot across the carpet, towards him. A
pair of silver shoes dangled from her fingers.
"Every time you open your mouth, you say something nasty, so just don't say a word,"
Janani said, looking at him furiously.
She conveniently forgot the moments when he told her eyes were beautiful.
She buried the memory of him consoling her when they were at the hospital.
She is too angry to remember all that now.
Armaan was pleased she'd instructed him to say nothing because, for once, the power of
speech appeared to have deserted him.
He was the one who bought the dress.
He had gone shopping himself. Something he had never done for any of his mistresses
before. Janani isn't even his lover. Then why the hell did he make an effort to choose a dress
for her himself?
He'd approved the gown when the sales girl showed it to him. But he mustn't have been
paying full attention to it, because he couldn't recall it looking quite as stunning as it looks
now.
Or maybe it was because he'd seen the dress in daylight and it was definitely designed to
dazzle at night.
Or maybe it could simply be because it was worn by the very gorgeous woman standing in
front of him.
She was sparkling in that dress.
Her hair had been scooped up and clipped at the back of her head with pretty silver butterfly
clips, the messy look making it rather sexy.
'You look incredible' he wanted to say but his voice betrayed him.
Once settled in the car, Janani looked up at Armaan's profile to see his jaws were clenched
tight.
If you clench them any tighter, you will break your teeth, she wanted to say but stayed silent.
It is none of her business.
"What am I supposed to do at the party" Janani asked
"As if you don't know" he scoffed
"As a matter of fact, I don't" Janani said and Armaan looked on suspiciously
"You see, I only attend night clubs and parties. Never been to something as boring as a
charity event" she put on a fake smile making Armaan more angrier.
Why does she have to remind him about her past escapades?
"There will be a lot of people, none of whom have the slightest interest in anyone but
themselves and their own self-advancement. As it happens, I have a very specific reason for
going to this particular event ,I need to speak to Rajath Pillai and Raghu Ramaswamy"
"Who are they?"
"Don't you read newspapers?"
Janani flushed.
"Sometimes. When I am not working."
She absolutely doesn't have the habit of reading the newspaper. Never had. The only
column she ever checked in a newspaper is the column where they put news about newly
releasing movies.
Armaan shook his head
"They are two of the richest men in South India. Very powerful "
"But not as powerful as you."
A ghost of a smile touched his mouth. "Different power."
"Alternative energy. Like fossil fuels versus a wind farm."
Looking at the thin line of his mouth, she sighed.
"Sorry. I forgot you don't have a sense of humour. So these guys are going to be sitting at
our table? I presume you want me to be extra-nice to him?"
"That won't be possible. They don't speak much English and I doubt their interpreter will be
there.I am sure if you smile at them it won't do any harm."
"I don't need an interpreter. I am good at communicating with people" she said vaguely
"So you're hoping to meet up with this Pillai guy, who else? Doesn't anyone just go to have
fun?"
"They go to be seen. And at a charity ball they go to be seen spending money. It's a game. I
go because there are a few contacts I need to make. I have no doubt it will be boring."
Janani felt a renewed flutter of excitement at the prospect of playing Cinderella for a night.
She had never been interested in parties and stuff, but then she had never had a chance
before.
For one day she will just forget everything and enjoy it to the fullest.
Armaan Verma can think about her whatever he wants. It doesn't matter to her.